Limited to 250 pieces, the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Year of the Horse exudes vintage charm
No matter how shoddy your internal clock has been, it’s hard to miss when the Lunar New Year is just around the corner. And while enthusiasm for the festive period often ranges across a spectrum, watch enthusiasts can always look forward to a suite of new and limited-edition timepieces to usher in the new year.
It’s no surprise then that TAG Heuer has unveiled a limited-edition Carrera Chronograph to celebrate the Year of the Horse. With TAG Heuer’s racing heritage and DNA, it’s too tempting not to point out the natural affinity that exists between the brand’s automotive-inspired world—with its racetracks and horsepower—and, well, the equine.
Now that’s out of the way, we can focus on the watch itself. Rendered in a striking combination of champagne-gold and fiery red, the 39mm Carrera Glassbox Chronograph possesses a vintage-like allure. This effect is, in no small part, thanks to the watch’s curved sapphire crystal.
A defining feature of the brand’s Glassbox series, the domed crystal is drawn from the watchmaking language of the 60s, which includes the brand’s early Carrera models. This yesteryear aesthetic is further accentuated by the watch’s champagne-gold dial, an unassuming colourway that oozes old-world charm.
As expected from the Carrera line, the sunray-brushed dial is clean and uncluttered. Featuring rose gold-plated applied indices and central hour and minute hands, the dial appears designed to give off a cohesive look. Couple that with an internal tachymetre and a recessed seconds track with black and red markings, and you have a timepiece that looks to prioritise harmony above all else.
This notion, of course, is challenged by a striking pop of red, courtesy of a 30-minute chronograph totaliser at 3 o’clock, a date window at 9 o’clock, and the watch’s central seconds hand. Providing strong contrast against the otherwise measured dial, the eye-catching hue of red adds just the right amount of visual punch without overwhelming the composition. And for a touch of whimsy for good measure, the numeral 7 on the date module is replaced by the Chinese character for horse.
Completing the watch’s vintage styling is an exclusive seven-row beads-of-rice bracelet that has been polished and brushed alternatively. Powered by the automatic chronograph calibre TH20-07, the limited-to-250 TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Year of the Horse boasts an 80-hour power reserve.
